Jünger Helps Dogan Media Group Embrace Loudness Control

Turkish broadcaster voluntarily complies with EBU R128May 13, 2013

BERLIN—Dogan Media Group has become the first broadcaster in Turkey to adopt EBU R128 loudness recommendations as standard after investing in Jünger Audio’s R128 compliant broadcast audio loudness control equipment.

Part of the Dogan Media Company, TV station Kanal D is available in high definition via satellite and in standard definition on terrestrial networks. The company also owns CNN Turk and TV2, as well as D-Smart, a satellite platform.

Dogan Media Group was keen to embrace the international standards on broadcast audio loudness so that it could give viewers a more enjoyable experience. The company began looking for a technical solution that would allow it to control broadcast loudness without impacting on overall sound quality.

After consulting with Jünger Audio’s Turkish distributor Radikal Elektronik, Dogan Media invested in three D*AP LM4 four-channel Digital Audio Processors for use at Kanal D, CNN Turk and TV2. Incorporating Version II of Jünger Audio’s Level Magic algorithm, D*AP LM4 is compliant with all current broadcast audio loudness recommendations, including ITU 1770 (versions 1, 2 and 3), ATSC A/85, ARIB TR-B32 and EBU R128. The units feature onboard AES/EBU digital I/O, along with optional 3G/HD/SD-SDI I/O or analogue I/O and are aimed at television broadcasters and video production and post-production companies that need to control audio loudness while creating and editing broadcast content.

“Simplicity of use and reliability, combined with good local support, were all important considerations when it came to choosing a loudness control solution for our television channels,” Timur Kul, Kanal D’s technical director in charge of audio, said. “Jünger Audio was able to meet all of these criteria and we are very happy with the results we are achieving with the D*AP LM4 processors.”

“The loudness solution we chose had to be transparent, so that our channels continued to sound like we wanted them to sound and were not coloured by the sound of the units,” he said. “Jünger Audio’s solution was able to do this admirably as the processors do not play with the character of the audio.”

Other Turkish broadcasters are likely to embrace loudness control, according to Sarp Yelkencioglu, managing director of Radikal Elektronik.

“We are noticing more interest in audio quality, and in loudness control solutions that can balance a station’s sound,” Yelkencioglu said. “Although there is currently no legal precedent for Turkish broadcasters to adopt EBU R128, there is a commercial incentive as it does make stations sound better, which improves the enjoyment for audiences.”